Enigma
by Coolfire30
Summary: I find myself surrounded by bright blinding lights and a wall of humans sneering and yelling. I ask myself...'Who woke me up?
1. Nonchalance

**Chapter 1: Nonchalance**

I find myself surrounded by bright blinding lights and a wall of humans sneering and yelling. I ask myself...' _Who woke me up?_

After all, it wasn't every day that you fall asleep on your favorite branch and wake up being auctioned off in the infamous Sabaody Archipelago human auction...right? Usually one would find yourself waking up in the exact same place you positioned yourself to sleep...right? So how on earth was she here? Now that story will come later, for now, let's focus on my current predicament.

A question filtered through my head, _'Why do you always get into the most troublesome things?'_

I could hear someone speaking in the back of my mind, but I was still too out of it to understand and even bother to pay attention.

Still lying down on my side I tried to lift my hand in order to wipe away the sleep from my eyes, but instead found it chained. So, rather than lifting one hand, I lifted both of them up with great success mind you and proceeded to rub my eyes and let out a tired yawn.

I wondered idly why the chains I was bound with were so weak. I had half a mind to berate them for underestimating me, but I proceeded to push myself upwards, letting the metal chains clank loudly on the stone ground. I felt what I knew was a sneeze and looked up at the lights to help it come out easier. And to my great relief, it did, and boy was I glad. There are only a few things in this world that can truly annoy me, and a ruined sneeze is one of them.

"As you can see ladies and gentlemen, this young beautiful girl holds the grace of the Celestial Dragons themselves," I heard the man who I knew to be Disco of the Doflamingo family say as the crowd roared in laughter.

"Ahh...shit... got caught didn't I? Dang..." I said unknowingly that my voice traveled farther than I thought.

Disco shot me an annoyed look and continued his speech.

"Our info tells us that she is proficient in many many types of weapons, which includes a variety of projectile and handheld weapons such as the Longbow, and swords. So you know who to turn to when you need to dispose of anyone, she's very convenient isn't she," Disco laughed and motioned for the auction to start.

 _'Well, he isn't wrong...'_

Sighing she turned towards the crowd and noticed their slightly crazed gazes on her and _*tched._

"I guess the auction needs to start right?" she asked no one in particular, "I might as well have some fun while I'm at it," she muttered to herself.

"Anyone wanna buy me?"

The room was silent. She could feel the air almost bursting with incredulity and she lazily grinned, a glint forming in her amethyst eyes.

"Oh come on, not even 50 berries? 100 berries?"

She noticed a no.52 paddle up in the air and a loud shout of 100 thousand berries accompanying it. _'Too low',_ she thought.

Another raised their paddle and shouted 900 thousand berries. _'Oooh, getting there',_ she smirked.

Paddle after Paddle and shouts after shouts kept on coming, the price for her kept on rising until she noticed the figures at the back content on just watching the show. Her eyes narrowed. Surely they had more money than they were worth, I mean they were pirates after all. And they were strong, shivers wracked my very being at the touch of their aura. Delicious. "Hey! You guys, yeah you guys at the back. Wanna bid on me?" she motioned herself while a distinct look formed on her face which she was sure they translated as 'If you dare'.

She giggled lightly at the man with the tattoos as he raised his finger up at her wearing a peeved off expression. The man with red hair and red aesthetic was holding onto the chair in front of him so hard that it cracked, making me grin.

 _'Ooooh, how fun. Their reactions are top tier.'_

"300 MILLION BERRIES!" A Celestial Dragon shouted.

Gasps echoed in the room at the sheer amount he was willing to bid on me.

I looked at him in the eyes, winked and smiled cutely. Seeing them certainty left much to be desired. I heard him say to what seems to be his father, "Daddy! Daddy! I want her as a wife of mine! I WANT HER!"

After that outburst, no one dared to bid more on me. Which was disconcerting, truly it seemed that the Celestial Dragons were treated as gods here. She'd have to find a way to report all that she's seen back to him.

Waiting a few more seconds I bowed as best as I could with chains restraining my movements and addressed the audience, "Well, that concludes today's auction ladies and gentlemen. Please find your way out the exit in an orderly fashion."

A chorus of yells and screams were made as I snickered and heard Disco trying to placate the bidders.

"Please! Please! We still have more items in the back! In fact, we'll bring out the special item early today!"

I silently made my way backstage, covertly using my Haki to protect my neck as I ripped it off me. I could hear the worried whispers of the slaves around me, but I paid them no mind as I slipped through the metal bars in hopes of a good nap before I escaped, and curled up beside an old man with a ridiculously large yet nurturing aura.

It felt as if his aura was tempting me, enticing me to dare and trespass into his domain. I was pulled in to his overwhelmingly all-encompassing energy, and I found that I liked it.

Looking up at the man I just so casually used as a pillow, I saw the amusement dancing in his eyes before laying his hand on my head and said, "Now, why are you here little one?"

I grumbled for a few moments, "I'm not small, I can take care of myself..."

He chortled as if what I said was ridiculously amusing. I pouted. "Can you please take care of me while I sleep? Your aura feels really good..."

His laugh died down as he said in low tones, "...Aura? You can feel my aura?"

I just nodded numbly as my world turned dark, sleepiness winning over and his aura lulling me to sleep. I barely caught his small muttering of, "This girl...she can't be," and the slight smile on his mature yet handsome face.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay...Okay ...I know I shouldn't make a new story but...months of being in the hospital with limited access to the internet has made my head spin with hundreds of ideas! My muse has been very active as of late, and as a result, I've got a multitude of stories that I NEED to publish, and my other story Pulse will also have another chapter this week! And it's much longer too!**


	2. Extrasensory

**Chapter 2: Extrasensory**

I could hear the sounds of loud explosions, gunshots and the clanking of metal swords muffled in my ears. I could feel myself being lifted as I snuggled deeper into his embrace. I wasn't worried, in fact, it was the complete opposite. I felt safe, relieved even. I felt him move, walking to a place I did not care for, and a destination I did not know. All I knew was that he would keep me safe- protect me if needed.

The soft thumps of his feet on the metal floors anchored me to reality, half of my consciousness still drifting off into darkness, the other distantly aware of the situation I was currently in.

The jumbled screams of people are closer now. It is almost unbearable in my half-conscious state, so I burrowed even further into the junction of his shoulder and neck, sighing contentedly at the slow thrumming of his power. It caressed my own, smoothing down any sparks rebelling, and calming the raging waves that is my soul.

It was peaceful. It was soothing. It acted as a sedative.

I wanted _more_.

So I unconsciously nudged the underside of his jaw, eyes half-lidded, a soft whine leaving my throat. It seemed he understood my small plea. I felt his arms tighten around me and his power washing over my form, cloaking me in warmth, clouding my senses in a purple haze.

I was so out of it that I barely registered that he had said something, his dulcet tones vibrating in his throat, "She really is a...from... "

The sentence was cut as his thoughts finished, and ended as his movements came to a stop. I heard the creaking of something metal, and the squeak of something being taken out of it. But at that moment my mind had shut itself down.

* * *

 _I was somewhere vivid, vibrantly colored with large specs of black dotting all around. I could see figures moving forward in a rush. It was a mob of human-shaped forms all trying to push against each other. I was confused; why?_

 _I could feel their frightened and panicked auras all swirling in rapid succession._

 _My head hurts. I can't breathe._

 _Please stop it._

 _Please..._

 _Please..._

 _Help me..._

* * *

I smelled a mild fragrance of Lavender and the sweet scent of the ocean beckoning me, calling me. I became mildly aware of the warm body whose arms I was currently engulfed in. I was brought back by the coiling of his muscles as he moved towards the river of humans scattering out the tall door.

I noticed his hand swiftly grabbing a man's pouch full of money, while the other holding me securely in his grasp. I could feel the rumbling of his voice as he addressed the man.

A resounding pulse echoed in my chest, filling it with a warmth I could not explain.

"Rest," I heard him say softly to me as the giant he released ripped through the metal wall; that had hindered him from proceeding to the auction room- with his bare hands and allowed him to first walk onto the stage before staying hidden in the shadows of the wall.

His arms pulled me closer to his body, closer to his heat.

"I will keep you safe," was the promise he uttered in my ears as I let out I contented sigh and snuggled deeper into his embrace. His neck cradling my own as I nosed the side of his jaw and listened to his even breaths.

Fighting a through my drowsiness, I heard him speak, "Have a look at that, Giant-kun. The hall is a complete mess. Seems that the auction has finished."

His body turned to look at the damage done, stirring my body slightly, "Seeing as I've stolen some money, I guess I'll be returning to the gambling hall."

"What a foul old man you are...You came just so you could steal money?" the giant boomed from behind the wall.

"I wanted to steal from whoever bought me as well..." his chest rumbled with a short chuckle, "Well, that's impossible now."

Motioning to grab his flask he remembered," Oh, right it was empty," I felt his gaze linger on me for a few moments, "But first I've got to get you somewhere safe before I can go get some more sake."

"Although, come to think of it...I'm pretty old, so who would want a slave like me?" he laughed heartily, shaking my body.

With an eye half-lidded and the other fully closed, lazily I giggled softly at his words, "You don't look a day over your prime Jiji, you still feel as strong as ever," before gripping his shirt tighter.

His laugh gradually ceased as a smile appeared on his face looking down at me before noticing the tense atmosphere in the room, "Hm? What? It seems like I drew some unwanted attention..."

I peered through the slits between my eyelids as the slave guards made a commotion, "What's with that old man and giant!"

"Isn't she that woman that Saint Charloss bought?!"

"Weren't they auction items? How did they get out of their cages!?"'

A shrill shriek escaped a guard's throats as he pointed at our necks, "Th-Their neck-rings are gone!"

His eyes were wide as saucers and his mouth quivered in fright, "How-How did they get them off?!"

Moments passed quickly behind the curtains of my eyes.

I didn't notice that I had drifted off until he moved forwards once again, rousing me from my short-lived nap, "Why, if it isn't Hachi! It's you right? It's been a while! What are you doing here?" his happy countenance were wiped off as quickly as it appeared on his face as he narrowed his eyes, "Where'd you get that wound?"

"Oh, you don't have to tell me," He released a hand from underneath me, leaving only the other to hold my body as he rubbed his beard repetitively and took note of the state of the room.

A few minutes passed as they all waited for him to finish with his musings, "So this means...I get it...I've figured out what has happened."

Sighing he said, "You've gotten yourself into quite a mess haven't you Hachi?" he turned towards a guy with a straw hat on his head, " Were you the ones who saved him?"

The group near the man with the straw hat gulped, while the man wearing it continued to stare at him.

"Well, then..."

I could feel his aura vibrating under his skin. Shivers wracked my body as I released a breath of air I had no recollection of taking. A wave of his Ki burst out and seeped into the bodies of the people in the room, rendering the soldiers incapable of movement. I was left in ecstasy as the purple haze washed over my body and mind once again.

In the back of my mind, I distantly heard the shocked gasps and responses of the pirates.

My eyes heavy with bliss. My head buzzing with sparks, and my body filled with power. I vaguely noticed him step forward and address the man with the straw hat.

"That straw hat of yours...it really fits a fearless man like yourself," coming closer he continued, "I've wanted to meet you...Monkey D. Luffy!"

Smiling wildly before leaning down near my ears and whispered, "I'm going to need to hand you over to the giant for a few moments, don't worry, you're safe with him," before motioning for the giant behind us to take me.

I felt his grip tighten before handing me over to the large palms of the giant.

I let out a small whimper but acquiesced to his request and curled up near the giant's thumb.

I heard the old man walk and speak in calming tones while the rest panicked in the background.

I couldn't seem to remember the amount of time that had passed in my half-delirous state.

 ***BoOM**

An explosion sounded near me but my body refused to move. _'He promised I would be safe. I have placed my trust in him. He wouldn't allow anything to harm me,'_ I thought semi-aware of the shouts of indignation. A brief period of time passed before the man took hold of my body once again, carefully jumping off the stage and walking up the steps with soft footsteps.

Coming close to the top he paused, "Hm, Sorry you guys," he turned his head towards the group with a Polar Bear, "You were just here to watch, right?"

"Judging from how you handled that situation earlier, you aren't exactly pushovers, right?"

Before letting the darkness engulf me, I could feel sharp eyes trained on my small curled up form and the eerily calm voice of the red-haired man, "Who'd have thought we'd run into such a big shot here? That's the Dark King, Silver's Rayleigh, no doubt about it."

His voice took on an almost contemplative tone, "What's that legendary man doing here...and holding onto that girl from earlier?"

I somehow remember myself thinking, _'Oh wow... His name's Rayleigh...'_ before allowing myself to succumb to the alluring call of darkness.

 **OwO**

I awoke with buzzing in my ears, a throbbing pain in my head, my neck stiff, and wounds littered on my body.

I tried to stand up, only to find that my body refused to heed to my wishes.

 _'Where am I?'_ I asked myself.

Whimpering slightly I looked around saw nothing but blank walls of metal, and a door with a large bolted lock. I could sense it prowling in its cage, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

 _'I remember being in a similar situation,'_ I mused.

So instead I stared wide-eyed at the single light above me, trying to calm the beast down before it was too late. Dreams of the past filtered through my memories. Visions of the future etched itself in my mind's eye. The pain of the present lit my body on fire. The light pierced through my eyes, dilating as it tried to lessen the amount being absorbed into my body. It stung, it throbbed, it was too bright. I didn't know what to do. I could feel my chest constrict, my body shake and my vision filled with black spots. I couldn't breathe. I remember my body falling on the cold, hard metal floor as I heaved and the air in my lungs left. My body felt as if burning needles were being used to poke holes and bleed me dry.

I remember the squeaking noise of the metal door opening, and the figure dropping something with a resounding clank on the floor. My ears rang as if my eardrums were bursting.

I remember the figure running up to me and dropping on his knees and placing a calming hand on my shoulder. It increased the intense feeling of being burned alive, I couldn't take it.

I remember recoiling in shock and a sound similar to a scream ripping through my throat. I could taste the blood pooling in my throat.

I remember the figure speaking in controlled tones at my pitiful form, but all I could hear was a distorted sound of being underwater. My mouth opened as I struggled to breathe.

I was drowning.

I remember the face of the figure as he looked down on me very clearly, striking gray eyes piercing through my soul... Before blackness...

* * *

 **A/N: I honestly feel really hyped for this story. I'm already halfway through the next chapter, so I'll most likely be uploading this on the regular. Also, this chapter may seem dialogue heavy but I am trying to go along with the anime and manga for the most part.**

 **And to my guest readers, since I cannot PM you I'd like you all to know that yes, this is most definitely a Law X Kagome pairing. As for her joining either Law or Luffy's crew...well, I'm afraid that she won't officially be joining any crew since she is essentially already part of something much much bigger...but she will, however, be spending a lot of time in the Polar Tang. You have no need to worry about that. There will be plenty of interaction between the two. Oh! And Happy Halloween...ehe.**

 **I hope this eased your mind until more facts can be revealed about her. So, until my next update then.** **( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)**


	3. Sabaody Archipelago

**Chapter 3:** **Sabaody Archipelago**

Arriving in Sabaody Archipelago didn't feel as fulfilling as I thought it would. I felt, in a way, indifferent to the fact that we've arrived in the halfway mark of the Grand Line. Surely there should be more to this place than just stores and the overabundance of slavery. I was bored. I was extremely bored. But with the 11 Supernova's all gathered here in one place, things were bound to get exciting sooner or later.

We had planned on stopping for only a few weeks in order to stock up and repair what needed to be fixed before we headed out into the New World. Now that everything was finished, all that was left was to set sail. But my instincts led me to believe that something was going to happen today. And my instincts have never been wrong before, so why would it now?

 _'What's a few more days,'_ I thought idly.

Looking around, I watched lethargically with an eye open as my crew loitered inside the tavern trying to pick up girls and drink. As I leaned back on Bepo's fur and closed both my eyes, I overheard something that piqued my interest.

"Oi, did you know? Apparently, they've got a mermaid at today's Grove 1 auction."

"They should know better by now not to go out on land. Slavers are everywhere these days."

"Yeah, and the word is that the Marines have warships posted out at the docks. Apparently, they've got 2 Admirals placed here cause of those damn Supernovas."

"We gotta lay low now cau-"

I stopped listening in to their conversation. I've gotten all the information I needed. A rare mermaid was caught. There's a human auction at grove 1 today. And there are Admirals on the Archipelago. Although I was skeptical about 2 Admirals being in one place, I knew at least that someone strong from the Marines is coming. After all, rumors have to start from something. There had to be at least a grain of truth in there somewhere.

A lazy smirk etched itself on my face as a single thought passed through my mind, _'Things are finally getting interesting.'_

I swiftly opened my eyes and reached for my Nodachi, while motioning for Bepo to stand up and free the exit.

I looked over to my two childhood friends and watched them banter for a few more moments before commanding them, "Shachi, Penguin, come."

Both males stood from the table and shouted, "Aye captain!"

 **OwO**

With a confident gait, Law led his small group out the tavern and into the busy streets of Grove 21.

The sun threatened to pierce his eyes with its illuminating brightness. The cool air ruffled the unruly hair that escaped his spotted hat. The noises of people screaming and the beginnings of a fight filtered in his ears.

"GAAHHH! THE MAD MONK"S GONE BERSERK!"

"We've got to hurry and get away from here!"

Law scoffed at the panicked yells surrounding him.

Arranging his hat to cover his eyes, Law walked past the fleeing shoppers and proceeded to sit on a wooden crate, positioning himself right in the thick of the action. Both Shachi and Penguin arranged themselves behind off to the side of him, whilst Bepo sat on the ground, crossing his legs looking over his head.

With a slight interest showing in his gray eyes, Law noted that Killer from the Kidd Pirates and Mad Monk Urouge; both Supernova's, were his current form of entertainment. He inwardly applauded whatever petty argument started this confrontation. Because now, not only is he able to satiate his own boredom but in addition also gain information about both pirates. It was a win-win situation, or so he thought.

His infamous smirk made an appearance as Urouge used his giant pillar and used it as a makeshift mace, aiming for Killer and intending to slam him down. Never losing his amused countenance, Law watched as Killer back-flipped out of danger before pushing his foot off the ground towards Urouge and jumping with the other upwards just missing the pillar before it was to smash into his side.

Feeling pleasantly entertained, Law leaned his elbows on his thighs and crossed his fingers between each other, his thumb tapping the other every few moments.

Turning his body downwards in mid-air, Killer directed his sickles towards Urouge. The Monk's smile widened even further as he readied his pillar to swing at Killer.

Law's perceptive eyes gleamed as he followed X-Drake intercept the clash of weapons with his four-bladed axe slamming against Urouge's pillar, and his saber pushing Killer's sickle.

Landing, Drake growled out, "If you want to cause a stir, do it in the New World,"

"I see," Urouge boomed as Killer finally landed a few meters away, "The former officer Drake, huh?"

A short chuckle escaped Urouge's throat as he taunted Killer once more, "Your life was just spared, Masked Man," before he turned and led his followers away.

With the battle ended, the crowds of pirates hoping to see two Supernova's fight a serious battle dispersed off to their little hiding places in the nooks and crannies of buildings, watching the area surrounding them with gleaming eyes.

The sound of several footsteps alerted Law to Drake's close proximity.

With a sly smirk, Law stated, "It was just getting good..." Drake paused in his steps and glanced down at him, "Yo, Drake-ya," Law looked up, "How many people have you killed?"

Unfazed Drake replied, "I'm a patient man Trafalgar Law, I avoid needless violence," walking past him Drake continued, "I have no wish to be known for my recklessness."

Shachi stepped forward aggressively, "Oi! What are you trying to say? That captain is reckless!" but X-Drake had already passed them by showing no signs of responding.

Penguin while trying to calm Shachi placed both his hands oh the other's shoulder and bumped his forehead onto Shachi, "Calm down," he hissed, "Captain said not to make a scene remember!?"

Now sufficiently scolded Shachi grumbled under his breath and looked towards Law for their next move.

Law idly flickered through his memories reminding him of all the time he'd raid Marine bases because he was bored. The times when he'd operate on 'willing' patients from other pirate crews and marine soldiers...

"Hmm, it seems that we are quite the opposite aren't we Drake-ya," Law mused.

Sensing the stares of all three of his friends, Law pushed himself upwards and turned to his crew-mates with a slight grin gracing his otherwise impassive face, "Let's head for the Grove 1 Human Auction House shall we?"

 **OwO**

The walk from Grove 21 to Grove 1 was uneventful. As we traveled through the Lawless areas; where all the rundown hotels, bars, and Inns that specially catered for the pirates, I couldn't help but succumb to the urge and taunt all these pirates. I found great amusement in the fact that a single smirk would be able to send the subordinates of several pirate crews reeling with anger as they tried to reach me, their only saving grace was their seemingly well-informed captains knowing who I was and preventing them from moving closer. And with such a satisfying expression burning their hatred into me, I nearly laughed outright, catching myself just in time.

The crowds of people in my way would separate into two, making a path for us to walk through. Leaning against my Nodachi more comfortably and placing my hands into my pockets, I could feel their eyes following us in fear, and glaring as if it would physically harm me. Having such a large bounty and a notorious epithet was such a convenience sometimes.

I could see the Human Auction House in the distance, coming closer as we neared its stairs. "Why does this place look so damn old and run-down? Wasn't the slave trade supposed to be a booming business?" Penguin asked.

Scoffing Shachi replied, "Hm, don't be a dumbass Penguin. I doubt they'd want to spend their money on something like decorations!" while smacking the other on the head.

I listened to their nonsensical banter and figured that they were right. _'Doflamingo wouldn't spend his illegal money on something like this. His new project has just started to boom in the New World.'_

Lifting up a hand, I pushed open one of the doors and entered seeing a darkly lit auditorium. The seats near the stage were almost completely filled leaving the top almost bare apart from Kidd-ya's group leaning at the back wall sneering at the excited people below.

Feeling no need to engage in a useless fight, I motioned for my Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin to follow me and took a seat near the middle back row with a full side view of the large cage backstage. With Bepo behind me, I handed him my sword to hold for the rest of the auction and raised my arms to rest on the backrests of the chairs waiting for the auction to start.

Feeling the amusing sensation of a glare on me, I moved my head slightly back to the right and smirked at Kidd-ya. I could see that he didn't take that very well and readied himself to come at me. I could surmise how Eustass-ya's mind worked by just this small interaction of ours; he seemed like someone extremely hot-headed person with a prideful and fiery personality. Bringing my right hand up I raised my finger to truly mess with him, but before he could respond to my taunt, bright lights flickered on above the stage and an MC spoke, "Well then, everyone! Thank you for your patience! In a moment, the 1st grove's monthly tradition...the Great Human Auction, shall commence!"

He moved his arm to the side and introduced Disco; an underling of Doflamingo, "Our host, of course, is this man! The walking super bazaar...Mr. Disco!"

 _'Disco's definitely changed a lot since the last time I saw him...though that was over 10 years ago...'_

As Disco twirled around and the lights positioned themselves over him, the crowd roared in delight, waving their hands up in the air. "Good day everyone! This time, we've got quite an excellent selection of slaves for you! You're all lucky! We've got a spectacular deluxe item for later in the show! The only thing on my mind is making sure everyone here leaves with the slave they've been waiting for!"

Bepo yawned behind me, placing his head on top of a chair and closed his eyes waiting for the room to quiet down. My fingers twitched as I heard the conversations happening a few rows down from us. " What kind of item should I buy my empress today?"

 _'Item...'_

"The human slave you bought last time broke far too easily..."

While not unthinkable, the atrocities of what humans can do truly make me shiver in disgust...although it is quite hypocritical of me to say so, after all, they don't call me 'The Surgeon of Death' for no reason...

I closed my eyes at that thought and listened to Disco auctioning off a pirate musician by the name of Byron with a starting price of 480 thousand berries. The bid soon started to climb as three more people joined in the fray, the man who started the bid was getting more and more panicked as the other three continued to bid higher. Moving my right hand and placing it under my head, I opened an eye in disgust as I figured out Disco's plan. He had his men scattered around the room placing bids that are higher than what the human was worth. It was a sly plan, but a working plan.

I paid no attention to the humans being sold off from that point on. I was bored. I could only hope that someone would make this at least bearable. Humans after humans were being sold off like objects, but my mind wandered off thinking of the possibilities that perhaps I should buy someone. After all, we do need a new navigator. Bepo was working overtime, preparing for our trip to the New World. He sometimes worked until he fell asleep...I couldn't help but feel slightly worried about his health, and being a childhood friend that had known me for a long time, made the feeling all the more prominent.

Looking off to the side, slightly behind me, I glanced at Bepo's slouching form. His eyes half closed in drowsiness, but still fighting to stay awake. I sighed, and by then my mind was made up. I would buy a navigator today...but then again, I am a pirate. I figured stealing someone would be better for both my money, the crew's treasury and the planting of the seed of loyalty in the mind of whomever I 'saved'. After all, living the life of a pirate would be much better than living a slave's life. They'd know in time that their loyalties laid with me.

The creaking of the giant door and the gust of fresh air broke me out of my reverie. Several footsteps echoed from the entrance. Peering through my peripheral, I saw the most unusual looking group; a fish-man, a starfish, a yeti, and a pervert accompanied by only two normal looking humans.

I quirked an eyebrow up and thought, _'It suits that they're from Mugiwara-ya's crew.'_

Leaning forward with my elbows positioned over my knees and fingers joined in front of my face, bits, and pieces of Kidd's conversation with his crew-mate filtered through the air and allowed me to listen in, "...Straw hat's captain isn't here...hoping...how dumb...for myself..."

I couldn't help but inwardly agree with Kidd-ya. Mugiwara-ya's crew was nearly always somehow on the pages of the news, angering the World Government and Marines in one way or the other. Always making a ruckus wherever he went...It would definitely have been interesting to see what kind of person he was in real life. Though the fact still remains that I still couldn't understand how exactly his thought process worked. Which is...slightly infuriating, to say the least. Now, it seems that things are bound to get more interesting with the Straw Hat pirates thrown in the mix.

"Anyone else? Anyone?!" Disco's upbeat voice rung in my ears as he tapped his mallet twice onto a wooden block to signify the closure of the deal, "Sold to number 51, for 3 million berri!"

I watched with indifference as the slave girl was led backstage into a different cage.

"Is this what will happen to Caimie too?" Considering the worry and utter desperation in the faces of both the fish-man and starfish. I could only assume that this 'Caimie' person was some type of fish hybrid- a mermaid perhaps?

"We'll definitely get her back!" I scoffed inwardly at their declaration, _'You shouldn't word your sentences as if you're making promises girl...it never ends well.'_

"But how will we do that in this situation?"

"We've got a load of treasure stored on the ship. It's at least 200 million in all...What's the going price for a mermaid?" Aaand bingo, their planning to buy back their mermaid friend. I just knew that things wouldn't be so boring while the Straw Hat Pirates were around. After listening in to that little tidbit I blocked their continuing conversation from my mind and focused back onto the auction below.

"It seems like the room has been lit a-fire with our past items! Our next item, however, one of our specials today! She's a dancer of the best kind, able to make even the angels sing at her beauty, Panthea!"

A purple haired female was escorted out from the back, holding her hands to her face as she cried pitifully, the chains holding her captive dangling on her wrists. "Entry number 15, Panthea! With a splendid starting bid of 800 thousand Berri, does anyone else wish to fight for the right to own this beautiful dancer!" Disco continued to milk the girl for what she was worth in Berri's while the bidders scrambled to waste their money.

"The bid has risen to an amazing 7 million 200 thousand berri!" The door opened behind us just as Disco finished his sentence.

My eyes followed as a guard ran from behind the curtains backstage towards the entrance of the Auction House before prostrating himself on the ground in clear submission, "Oh my! Saint Charlos!"

I leaned my body back and turned my head just in time to see the abomination people call a 'World Noble' kick his bleeding slave once more before ordering the guard, "Hurry and take me to my seat!"

"Yes, right away sir!"

My eyes widened in sheer shock before narrowing as the Celestial Dragon slowly passed our row and slowly made his way down the stairs, "Please be careful," the guard said in an almost frightened whisper.

I saw people turning their whole bodies away as it descended past their rows in a mixture of fright, disgust and slight reverence. Sensing the decline in the overall mood of the bidders, Disco introduced the next to be auctioned, "Well then, it seems we're ready...Entry number 16 is...can you believe it?! A pirate captain!"

From behind the stage, Disco's men brought out a rough looking man with haunted eyes. I could tell he wasn't ready for his fate to be marked as a slave for the rest of his life. But then again...who would?

Sighing at the pitiful form of the captain-no, a man. Someone with the position of captain should never be what this man is; captured, shamed, and weak. "Take a good look at him! He's a wanted man with a bounty of 17 million berri! His name is Lacuba!" A 17 million bounty isn't something to be proud of this far into the Grand Line. It was a wonder that he even made it this far.

"He is a pirate famous for his delicate, intricate planning!" I truly doubted the extent of his infamy, "His well-built body is also worthy of note. He'd make an excellent transport, hard worker, or sandbag! A practical choice if I ever saw one," As Disco was listing off all of what he was capable of, the pirate Lacuba continued to get paler and paler as his eyes quivered.

"Now then..." Disco's sentence abruptly stopped as the man started to wobble in his spot. I sneered, "So that's his game plan...not very intricate for a man apparently 'famous' for just that."

"What do you mean by that captain," Shachi murmured behind me.

"Were you sleeping Shachi?"

"'Uh, yea...BUT SO IS PENGUIN!" I raised an eyebrow at his outburst, "We're pretty tired captain...sorry. We were helping out Hino and Takiko with the repairs all night."

Sweat dropping, Shachi grimaced as I'm sure that the thought going through his brain as of his moment was somewhere along the lines of hoping that I wouldn't punish them. Which is quite frankly bullshit, no matter how many times I've reminded them that I don't punish my crew members needlessly, they still have this mindset that I do so out of fun. While I may not torture my crew, Marines, and enemy pirates, however, are fair game. At the top of my head, I could think of only one time where I honestly truly punished someone under me, and that was still only due to him endangering the life of another crewmate, which almost led Bepo to be burned alive. Though I must admit, at the time I may have let my anger get a hold of me more than it should have. I still think of that incident with rage burning right behind the fun I had whilst I 'punished' him.

My line of thoughts was halted as Shachi stuttered, "S-S-Sorry c-captain!" It seemed that I may have directed my killing intent at Shachi unintentionally. Sighing I placated him slowly, "Shachi, I will never punish someone under me for something as minor as staying up late to help another crew-mate," Shachi gulped as Penguin continued to sleep peacefully on Bepo's fur, "I've told you this more than I can count; As long as you don't endanger the life of another under me, sell information or specifically try to sabotage me or the crew, you will never be harmed by my hand," I looked at him straight in the eyes, "But don't think for one second that you can get out of your duties Shachi-ya," I ended the conversation with a smirk before returning my attention towards the pirate below.

The moment that Lacuba dropped on his knees, a scream from a female in the front row reverberated through the walls all around the room making me cringe at the high pitch. I could see the fresh blood dripping from the man's mouth as my suspicions were confirmed.

Disco's panicked face broke through his calm facade, "Don't tell me, he...?!" Lacuba fainted with his face down on the ground.

People were in uproar at the whole situation. A man 2 rows down from me shouted, "He collapsed! What's going on?! I saw blood!"

The curtains suddenly closed as Disco tried to clean up the mess that was made, "Hey! Hurry up and pull the curtains!" The swishing of the metal railing that held the curtains up echoed through the room as yells of indignation were made from the people present.

"What's going on captain?" Shachi ventured to ask.

"He bit off his tongue."

"Ehhh...so he decided he didn't want to live his life as a slave...and figured it would be better to die right now?"

I only bothered to hum in agreement before stating, "I suppose it was the most logical choice considering the few options that he had."

An amused smile ghosted my face for a few moments, _'And so far that whole fiasco has been the only thing interesting enough in this whole auction.'_

Minutes passed before Disco finally made an appearance again, this time it was clear to me that he had something up his sleeve to divert the attention of the angry crowd towards something supposedly 'better'. "Well then, about number 16! It would appear that the pirate Lacuba got a little nervous...had a nosebleed and collapsed. We'll put him up for sale again later." The crowd was successfully fooled as they collectively sighed in relief.

I scoffed at the obvious lie, it was obvious that he was suicidal and bit off his tongue to try and let himself bleed out.

"Had a nosebleed?" The Yeti from Mugiwara-ya's crew near the exit gritted out, "They're disgusting."

Trying to save face and rekindle the excited atmosphere from a few minutes ago, Disco quickly motioned for his men to bring the next human in. And with the next 'item' seen by the masses, the auditorium cheered and pumped their hands in the air.

"Now things are heating up on this Grand Human Auction! Our next entry is an instant purchase for sure!" A pale-skinned woman with midnight blue hair wearing a full black bodysuit with red ribbons accenting her whole attire was carried into the stage and place down on the ground, "Entry number 17 is a knockout female mercenary and assassin all in one!" my eyes widened slightly at that fact, "Please observe the miraculous proportions of this 23-year-old soon-to-be slave! Although we could not get her name because as you can see, she's still very much fully asleep, she's one of today's big draws!"

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 **A/N: Ehe...yea a cliffie...ehe...Anyways sorry for missing an update yesterday, I slept through the whole day. It seemed that I was more tired than I thought. But, I am still feeling pretty good about this story, my muse has been very active so Part 2 is ready for uploading tomorrow! Though I am sorry if you feel that my chapters drag on, cause honestly, I feel the same way but...it is necessary to establish how the characters (At this time, mainly Law and Kagome really) act in certain situations, how they think, their mannerisms and habits etc. And of course to set the plot.**

 **Don't hesitate to comment or PM me about any questions and idea's you may have, I'll do my best to answer and reply to them in the following chapters.** **So, until my next update then. ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)**


	4. Entry No 17

**Chapter 4:** **Entry No. 17**

 _"Now things are heating up on this Grand Human Auction! Our next entry is an instant purchase for sure!" A pale-skinned woman with midnight blue hair wearing a full black bodysuit with red ribbons accenting her whole attire was carried into the stage and placed down on the ground, "Entry number 17 is a knockout female mercenary and assassin all in one!" my eyes widened slightly at that fact, "Please observe the miraculous proportions of this 23-year-old soon-to-be slave! Although we could not get her name because as you can see, she's still very much fully asleep, she's one of today's big draws!"_

I could tell that this woman was different straight away. After all, who would be comfortable enough to sleep while they were being auctioned off as a slave? And the fact that she was introduced as a mercenary and assassin without a name only added to the allure of this woman. I was very much intrigued by the current 'item', and though I had no plans to buy her, I watched with an almost excited fervor; very unusual compared to my normal demeanor. Making sure to firmly place on an amused expression, I aimed my attention back onto the woman still sleeping peacefully in the center of the stage.

"Her marvelous toned and voluptuous figure is sure to impress even the heavens!" murmurs of agreement washed over the crowd.

I noticed her eyelids flutter, indicating that she was to wake up soon. I was filled with anticipation as I waited for the scream that was bound to be heard from her throat. With her eyes now fully open; yet still seemingly murky from sleep, she made to move her hand, but was unable to due to the understandable weight of her chains. She blinked a few more times as she lifted both her hands and rubbed the sleep from her striking eyes. I did not have a clear view of the exact color of her eyes, but even from a distance, it was strikingly bright. I wondered idly why she had not made an attempt to scream yet, but figured that perhaps she still did not understand her current situation. I was slightly confused- though I'd never outwardly admit that, all she was doing was looking around the room.

There was a very large possibility that there was wrong with her- in a medical perspective of course. And I was still waiting for the shocking realization to hit, to see my prediction of her reaction come true. But to my great surprise, the only loud sound that escaped her was an exceptionally strong sneeze.

"As you can see ladies and gentlemen, this young beautiful girl holds the grace of the Celestial Dragons themselves," the crowd roared in laughter at Disco's 'observation'.

She scrunched up her nose slightly...which I thought was in fact...perhaps...only _slightly_ cute. That just then was the one thought I vowed to never let Penguin and Shachi know I had. Their respect for me would plummet should they know what had been swimming through my mind a few moments ago.

"Ahh...shit... got caught didn't I? Dang..." Her voice was still rough from sleep, which gave it an almost sultry tone...

I fought back the shiver that threatened to course through my body before reflecting on what she had just said. What did she mean by _'I got caught didn't I?'_...this implies that she wasn't aware of her capture but...how is that possible? Could she have been sleeping...the whole time!? Is she really that heavy of a sleeper? My mind whirled with possibilities of possible medical afflictions that she could have. Shaking my head slightly I noticed that Disco was currently glaring at the woman in annoyance, but continued his glorified introduction nonetheless, "Our info tells us that she is proficient in many many types of weapons, which includes a variety of projectile and handheld weapons such as the Longbow, and swords. So you know who to turn to when you need to dispose of anyone, she's very convenient isn't she," Disco laughed and motioned for the bidders to start.

 _'She really does have a very convenient list of skills especially made for battle...'_

A stray thought pushed in front of all others in my mind, _'How would she look with that bright red splattered all over her neck...body...face...her fingers soaked deep in the blood of her enemies...'_

I gripped my hands together even tighter before pushing them towards the junction between my eyes and vanishing that accursed thought into the far...very far recesses of my mind. This is ridiculous, she was hardly the first woman to grab my attention like this...She was hardly the first woman to intrigue me so much...

Resolving my thoughts to simmer down, I moved my hands down, loosening their hold on each other, but hardly separated. "...I might as well have some fun while I'm at it." What did I miss? Have fun with what? What is she talking about?

I narrowed my eyes after hearing her next question, "Anyone wants to buy me?"

 _'This woman...there's something wrong with her...'_

The woman tilted her head to the side as she asked, "Oh come on, not even 50 berries? 100 berries?"

Not even a few seconds later, people after people rose from their rows; enthralled by the woman's easy going demeanor and the interesting way she had basically propositioned herself. But I was not amused. No, no I wasn't. It didn't matter how much I tried to figure out her game here, nothing came to mind. There was nothing- There was no possible outcome that she would get from this whole situation that she continuously fed with her indifferent words and casual demeanor. Although...she may be trying to lessen any punishments she may receive in her enslaved life, or something of the sort by making it seem like she was too unique to even be mistreated...

Still lost in thoughts, I was suddenly snapped back into focus by the sound of her smooth voice calling out over all the bids being thrown, "Hey! You guys, yeah you guys at the back. Wanna bid on me?" Moving my head to face her, I glared. Her face morphed into an infuriatingly vexing expression, which made me grit my teeth at her attempt in provocation- which worked as I barely even noticed my finger going up to point towards her. **(Basically 凸ಠ‿ಠ) )**

Her eyes shined as she leaned back with her arms stationed on the floor and the sounds of her giggling bounced off my ears, I slightly reveled in the sound- closing my eyes. But the sudden booming shout of, "300 MILLION BERRIES!" from a Celestial Dragon made them open just as quickly as they shut. With shock still coursing through my veins, I made to stand up, stopping myself just in time before anyone else noticed. Outraged and incredulous gasps echoed in the room at the sheer amount he was willing to bid on her, and quite honestly I was too.

I caught the quick wink and small smile she gave the idiot that just managed to single-handedly prevent anyone from bidding more on her. I was disgusted. How anyone could even bring themselves to actually like the demon's that the Tenryuubito's are was a joke, let alone flirt with them. There was definitely something wrong with her, and for some unknown reason, I wanted to know what it was. For some frustratingly disturbing reason, I was so very much fascinated with the damn woman. I had this burning feeling deep in my chest that wanted to torture the answers out of her, but alongside it was the disturbing thought of me holding her neck gently in my hands...holding her life within my grasp and having the power to end her...my right eye and hand simultaneously twitched.

The woman stood and bowed with her left hand over her stomach and her right hand out, before addressing the audience in a subtly sarcastic manner that I picked up, "Well, that concludes today's auction ladies and gentlemen. Please find your way out the exit in an orderly fashion."

A chorus of yells and screams of displeasure were made as I saw her snicker and looked at Disco with a penetrating look as he tried to placate the bidders, "Please! Please! We still have more items in the back! In fact, we'll bring out the special item early today!"

While I was focused on Disco, I barely noticed her out of the corner of my eyes slithering away discreetly from the center stage and doing something that made my eyes widen in shock. She had ripped off her exploding neck-ring without even a second thought, and the more shocking fact about this one move was the fact that the collar did not beep in preparation for its explosion and it did not explode on her neck. It was merely thrown on the ground; the loud crash drowned out by the screams of the bidders, as the woman slipped past the metal bars and was blocked from my view behind the red curtains. I was having second thoughts on whether she truly wore the exploding versions of that collar, and rather the normal ones instead. I was perplexed. I was baffled. I was confused.

Lost in thought, I barely registered Disco's annoying voice, "However, everyone...! The next item we're about to bring out now... Is a super deluxe-item that is sure to make you all forget about this trouble!" Drum-rolls sounded from the stage as a smokescreen filled the area before something large was wheeled into the center stage. "Countless people have tried to capture one...Please look at this silhouette!" The lights dimmed before a spotlight was aimed from behind the covered dome, showing the outlines of a mermaid.

The crowd *ooh-ed and *aah-ed. "Oh! Could it be?!"

"They got one! The main draw...!"

"An introduction should not be necessary... Just have a look with your own eyes! Thank you for your patience!" Disco placed the microphone closer to his mouth, "Well then, here it comes! Have a good look at this!" before ripping the cloth off the object holding the mermaid revealing a girl with lime green hair and pink scales. The crowd screamed in excitement.

"Straight from Fishman island...Caimie, the mermaid!"

"Oh wow! It's real! A young mermaid!"

"Amazing!"

"What a prize!"

It seemed that the mermaid that they were looking for was finally being auctioned. I glanced at Straw Hat's group. I could not differentiate whether the fish folk were crying out of relief or anger. I closed my eyes in contemplation of the recent events and waited to see what other entertainment this current situation could give me.

"Finally! A mermaid! They're selling a mermaid!" A celestial Dragon shouted amidst all others.

Mugiwara-ya's crew had no chance now that a Celestial Dragon had his eyes on that mermaid. I was sure that the 200 million they had stashed in their ship wouldn't be enough to be able to buy their friend now. World Nobles had a lot of money to waste on trivial things after all, and it seemed that-that particular Celestial Dragon had been wanting to buy one for quite some time now judging from the shaking form of his back. And considering the 300 million that stupid fuck was willing to blow on that woman, I could only assume that he had more.

Looking back over to the mermaid they called 'Caimie', I could see the frantic way she moved about her glass display cage searching for something or someone desperately. It was easy to guess who they were.

Disco brought his mallet down 3 times in order to get the attention of the audience back to him, "It's been a while since we've had a mermaid here...I'm sure everyone here wants to buy it! Well then, how much are you willing to pay?"

'Cat Burglar' Nami said loud enough for me to hear, "Bring it on...We're definitely gonna get her back!"

"Now then, let us begin! First, let's start with...-"

"500 HUNDRED MILLION!"

The room quietened in shock as the Celestial Dragon's voice echoed distinctly in the room. Disco stumbled backwards before regaining his composure, "I'll buy it for 500 million berri!" reiterated the Tenryuubito.

 _'And there we go...they had no chance in the first place.'_

Hearing the sound of a bidding paddle being dropped a ways behind me, I chuckled lowly at the way things are proceeding. It seems that I was right once again. The slow muttering, sighs, and whispers of once hopeful bidders traveled in my ears.

"500 million..."

"No use...We can't beat that."

"W-What's that?! We don't have that much!"

"You've gone and wasted our money again. You already have piranha's in your fish-tank, do you not?"

"I'd like to see them try and chase after her. They say that mermaids are the fastest sea creatures in the world." Although that even I wasn't cruel enough to do something like that myself, the mental image of hungry piranha's chasing around that mermaid did form inside my head making me laugh under my breath.

Shaking my head slightly, noticed the mermaid banging onto the glass and crying with an absolutely riveting expression on her face. "It would appear that the audience has been rendered speechless...Well, does anyone want to make a higher bid than 500 million? If not then this auction will be quite a short one!" Moments had barely passed before Disco brought his mallet down twice before concluding the bid, "That's enough time!" He seemed to be particularly anxious to close the deal, and as disgusting as it was, 500 million was a large amount of money even for a mermaid.

Eustass-ya's group started moving towards the exit, "It's a symbol of how messed up the world is." I couldn't help but agree with him once more. "I've seen enough of this farce. We're leaving." It was slightly aggravating to be agreeing with someone like Eustass-ya so much.

"Well then, thank you for your attention up until now. The main prize this time, the mermaid Caimie...Goes to the World Noble, Saint Charlos...For the price of 500 million berri! It's-" I stopped listening to Disco's voice for a moment as a loud scream overpowered his own slightly, consecutively halting Eustass-ya's steps as well.

"-...a deal!" Disco brought his hammer down just as the wall surrounding the door out was smashed through. Something flew in and crashed into the seats a few rows down from ours nearly making me break my lax countenance.

"WHAT?!" Disco questioned.

"How noisy," I said while adjusting my hat and leaning back to a more comfortable position and turning my head over to the loud disturbance by the exit.

"LUFFY?!" A few voices shouted.

 _'Ah...so he's here now,'_ I let out a short chuckle at the realization. It seemed that the rumors were true that wherever-whenever he appears, he always makes a scene.

"What the heck?! Couldn't you land any better than that?!" Mugiwara all but screamed.

"No way! It's a flying fish you know! And it was you who told me to crash into the building!"

'Pirate Hunter' Zoro appeared through the smoke, "Anyways, you told me to get on... But why are we in such a hurry to get back to the Sunny anyway?...Where are we?"

"Zoro, too!" said the Yeti.

"You guys!"

 _'Are all of the Straw Hat's here?'_

I smirked and narrowed my eyes. "Hey... That's Straw Hat Luffy!" Eustass-ya grounded out.

"What's with those guys? Who are they?"

"CAIMIE! OI! CAIMIE!" I followed Mugiwara's form as he made to run down the stairs towards the Mermaid, "I'VE LOOKED FOR YOU EVERYWHERE! THANK GOD!"

Running behind Mugiwara-ya was that Fishman from before, reaching out towards him, "Wait a minute Mugiwara! What are you doing?!"

"What do you mean! Caimie is right there!"

The Fishman was dangling of Straw Hat's shoulders trying to stop him, "She's there but she's got an exploding neck-ring attached! So you can't just take her! Besides the Tenryuubito's are here!"

So that woman from before _must_ have been placed in an exploding neck-ring too...so how? How was she able to get rid of it unscathed?

"Like I care!"

All this screaming was making my ears ring, forming what I was sure to be a migraine later on.

"Wait...did he just say Straw Hat?"

"He's a pirate!"

"CAIMIE!"

"PLEASE JUST STOP ALREADY!" The Fishman suddenly opened his cloak and his four other arms grabbed a hold on Mugiwara-ya's torso, effectively slowing him down.

 _'Bad move...'_ I smirked as screams erupted from people in the room.

"His-His arms! A FISHMAN!"

The Fishman let go of Mugiwara almost instantaneously after hearing the disgusted voices of the humans surrounding him.

"That's disgusting..."

"What's a freshman doing here?"

"Get out of here you monster!"

The headache forming in the back of my head was slowly making its presence even more pronounced. "I'm gonna save you right now, CAIMIE!" I closed my eyes briefly as Mugiwara's voice penetrated my skull.

"GET HIM!" Disco ordered.

Trying to block out the sounds in the room I tried to push back the throbbing pain in the back of my head, the back of my neck, my shoulders and my temples. Gritting my teeth I resolved to force myself to get some sleep later in the sub after this auction, even if I must take sleeping pills...And oh how I hate administering prescription to myself. Opening my eyes and senses once more, the first thing I heard was the sound of a gun being fired and hitting someone's body. Scanning the room as quickly as my eyes would let me, I saw the Fishman lying in a pool of his own blood, dripping onto the steps. Followed by the outraged gasps, and the manic laugh of the World Noble that had bought both the mermaid and the woman from before.

Whispers coursed through the rows, like a stifling wave of disgusting human emotions. "I'm glad he shot it. I was afraid that if it came any closer, we might get infected by it."

"He was definitely trying to cause some trouble...After all, they've only got the brains of a fish."

I watched in mild amusement at Mugiwara-ya's facial expressions rapidly changed from shock to grief, to a brief display of calmness, and then finally a rage that spread through his body. His eyes held a healthy amount of animosity, and dare I say it...blood-lust even. And to be honest, I was slightly taken aback. I had no idea that the Straw Hat depicted as the easy-going, smiling, and without a care in the world pirate would show such a promising expression. And at that moment, the moment I saw his face, I knew that I could somehow rope him into my future plans. I had been looking for strong people to get into an 'alliance' with and 'con' them to assist me in my endeavors. Mugiwara seemed to be the perfect candidate in the grand scheme of things. He seemed easy enough to fool, he had the strength and name to carry out the 'deed', and an alliance with him could yield some unexpected results that I could somehow turn into my favor.

Smirking I looked back towards Mugiwara just as he walked with sure strides back up the stairs and towards the World Noble. "I got it! I got it! An octopus slave for free! Free" the Tenryuubito danced around, not even noticing the that the air around him had changed.

As he came close to the Fishman, Mugiwara was stopped with two of the Fishman's arms held onto him, "W-...Wait...please...Mugiwara...You can't...get...upset," Straw Hat looked back down onto the Fishman laying on the steps with an enraged expression, "You promised that...even if someone was shot right in front of your eyes...you wouldn't lay a hand on the Tenryuubito right?!" The Fishman was barely even able to get those few words out, I figured that he must have been shot somewhere in his lungs considering his extremely labored breathing and the way his face looked as if it was painful to even speak. I'd need to examine him further if I wanted to get his exact diagnosis...not that I'd really even want to though. I looked up at the ceiling and brought my hands under my head, discreetly massaging the knots that throbbed in my neck, barely paying attention to the drama happening with Mugiwara.

Groaning under my breath, I regained my previous position after hearing the idiot speak once more, "Damn fish! Even after I shoot you, you just keep on blabbering!" he raised his arm up, holding his gold gun as I raised an eyebrow up at this once again; idiotic move. Even from this distance away from Mugiwara, I could sense the tension and anger just waiting to burst under his skin. "You're annoying!"

Straw hat moved to cover the Fishman with his arms over his body, looking murderously at the Tenryuubito. "Straw!" cried that one star starfish I had completely forgotten off to the side.

"You...! What's with that look of yours?!" the idiot groundout.

Mugiwara stood and continued his way back up the stairs, brushing off the screams for him to stop. The idiot screamed, "Are you looking at me!" while aiming his gun down at Straw Hat.

"What is that guy doing?!"

I noticed his clenched fist readying to attack and I closed an eye as I said, "Hey, Straw Hat..." I couldn't believe that he really was going to go through with this. Was he really this rash and single-minded? Though I was entertained and highly amused, I couldn't help but wonder how he was the captain of his crew. But then again, he was notorious for making the whole World Government into his enemy and constantly getting on the nerves of the Marines. So, after reviewing those facts...I felt that this was hardly the most shocking thing that Mugiwara had done. It would actually only add to his growing list of doing the most idiotic things ever.

Eustass-ya's voice added to the already tense atmosphere, "Is he serious?!"

"You're annoying too!" The idiot squealed and panicked, shooting 2 shots at Straw Hat, that he dodged with ease. Straw Hat placed his left foot onto the last step and pulled his right hand back and punched the Tenryuubito on the face, knocking his bubble out of place and his body up the stairs, into the ground several meters away filling that area with smoke and debris.

Mugiwara stood there for a few minutes, clenching and unclenching his hands, breathing heavily as the room was rendered speechless. Jaws dropped, eyes were wide, and an almost gasping sound echoed through the place as the smoke dispersed and a view of the World Noble; bloody, bruised and unconscious, was seen.

The other Straw Hat's stood at the top with an unreadable expression, yet somehow also making it seem as if they knew this was coming...Could Mugiwara really be doing these types of stunts so regularly that his crew aren't even surprised?! Maybe I should reconsider his part in my plan, and ally with another more predictable pirate. But...his unpredictably makes him the optimal distraction when my plan is going underway...I'd have to reassess the pros and cons later.

Placing his hat back on his head and cracking his knuckles, Mugiwara hid his eyes in the shadows of his hat and seemed to be trying to compose himself.

"C-Charlos?!" the other World Nobles shouted in indignation.

I snickered and close my eyes.

Mugiwara grinned and apologized looking not in the slightest bit apologetic, "Sorry you guys...If I hit these guys, they'll call an Admiral from the Navy and a warship here, right?"

"Because you went and beat him up...I didn't get to slice him," the 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro let his blade slide into its hilt, ending with a sharp _*clink._

I caught snippets of their conversations and couldn't help but smirk at their plan of action. They were planning on saving the mermaid, getting the keys, and heal that Fishman...Ohhh this whole series of events entertained me like no other. I looked back towards my crew and found that their faces seemed to be frozen in shock, while Bepo continued to nap contentedly. I chuckled.

The Tenryuubito growled out, "Why you...! How dare a lesser human being lay a hand on my own son?!" and then proceeded to shoot Mugiwara-ya, missing every single shot.

"H-He angered the World Noble's!"

"RUN OUTSIDE!"

A rush of human bodies ran towards the exit, effectively blocking the way as the frightened screams rang in my ears, making my neck constrict from the barrage of sounds vibrating through my head. Bepo snorted and woke up with a sudden jump, almost letting go of my Nodachi but caught it just in time.

"HURRY UP AND GET OUT!"

"DON'T PUSH!"

I leaned back, closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of destruction, panic, and despair. Sighing when I heard the sounds of gunshots once again, and the annoying voice of the idiot's father, "I shall let you know what happens when you lay a hand on the descendants of this world's creators!"

Inwardly rolling my eyes, I proceeded to block everything out and catch a moment's reprieve before we leave the Auction house, rest and set sail. The booming sounds of metal clashing with metal, people being thrown into the walls, and the grating voices of people screaming was being pushed farther and farther from my mind. I was half aware of the battle surrounding us, but always ready to move if threatened.

* * *

 **A/N: Ehe...I honestly completely forgot about posting this chapter. The thought was lost with all the equations, paragraphs and text that have been swirling in my mind these past few days. School's a bitch, that's all I can about this matter.**

 **Now onto replying to all these reviews. I'm genuinely slightly weirded out by the amount of Anonymous/Guest reviewers in this fanfic but...eh. First I'd like to thank that one reviewer who said that it was more important to get rest cause damn you right! And concerning Rayleigh just handing Kagome over to Law (or anyone I so choose) without doing anything else...well in my mind Rayleigh is a bit more...hmm protective of those he considers to be important or of value to him, so you can expect him to give the person he has chosen for Kagome to be with a good talking to. (ﾉ･ｪ･** **)ﾉ** **As for Kagome rubbing Bepo's ears...（** **๑✧∀✧๑** **）** **ehe...you have no idea how much I've imagined her doing that too! Oh! And as for the others, I really don't want to give anything away so I'll just say nothing. (｡•** **̀ᴗ-)✧**

 **Oh, I've also made my mind up on a regular (I wish) update schedule! Hopefully, if things aren't too hectic in my life, I will be posting on Tuesdays/Thursdays every week. So this means either 1 or 2 chapters depending on the amount of work I've done in the following chapter. Though keep in mind that I will not abandon this, and like today, I may update on Friday's too...I'm such a hot mess lmao. I'm just trying to keep my life in order(ఠ్ఠ** **˓̭ ఠ్ఠ** **)**

 **By the way, the upload will be the last Part of this chapter. I swear even I get confused by how my brain works.**

 **So, until my next update then.** **( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)**

 **(Which is quite frankly most likely today too... but who knows really.)**


	5. Crashing the Auction

**Chapter 5:** **Crashing the Auction**

 _Inwardly rolling my eyes, I proceeded to block everything out and catch a moment's reprieve before we leave the Auction house, rest and set sail. The booming sounds of metal clashing with metal, people being thrown into the walls, and the grating voices of people screaming was being pushed farther and farther from my mind. I was half aware of the battle surrounding us, but always ready to move if threatened._

The sudden sound of water splashing onto the ground and glass shattering gradually brought me out of my short-lived nap. With Eustass-ya within much closer proximity, I was able to overhear his conversation with Killer, "Just like the rumours said."

"Yeah."

"He's one crazy guy."

I smiled mischievously, "Mugiwara no Luffy...With a bounty of 300 million Berri's, huh?"

I was softly humming in reflection of everything that had happened just as the ceiling was burst open by Flying Fishes entering one after the other. My interest was further roused as the 'Devil Child' Nico Robin jumped out from one and formed wings that seemed to be made up of hands carefully letting her land, followed by a talking skeleton. It truly seemed that Mugiwara-ya's crew really was made of a bunch of the most eccentric people possible. I was intrigued. And that only increased as another of Mugiwara's crew dropped from one of the already opened holes in the ceiling and landed on the annoying Tenryuubito. I nearly laughed out loud.

"Usopp, Robin, Brook!"

"Now we're all here!"

"Luffy! Where's Caimie?!"

"There she is," Straw Hat pointed over to the mermaid that was still waiting for her release, "As soon as we manage to remove that exploding neck-ring, we're out of here!"

"If we don't hurry, a warship and an Admiral will arrive!" I inwardly frowned. Did they truly not know of anything outside their current goal? Were they not aware of the rumours? But at least his crew-mates weren't _that_ idiotic and knew that having to confront an Admiral an incredibly unfavourable situation to be in. I shook my head slightly. I really should stop overestimating people's ability to perceive danger and grasp the information surrounding them. People weren't like him after all, in fact, I doubted that there was anybody who could match the speed and complex way my mind worked. With the amount of overthinking I do, it was a wonder why I still haven't suffered any dire losses from my annoying ability to make drastic conclusions out of the most irrelevant and inconsequential objects and information- but no matter. I was simply a man of foresight, regardless of the consequences.

"The Navy are already here, Mugiwara-ya." I figured that I should make the first step in acquiring their trust here, by giving them vital information for their inevitable escape later on. It was never too early to start making preparations for my plan after all.

Mugiwara turned over to me and gruffly said, "What's up with you? And what's with the bear?" At his pointed words, Bepo blushed and looked down, gripping my Nodachi even tighter. I did, however, wonder why Bepo was able to blush, seeing as he was covered in white fur...but brushed off that thought for another time.

I tilted my head down so as to let the shadows of my hat cover my eyes, hiding my true intentions from them, "Those guys have had this hall surrounded since before this auction started. Did you not know that there's a Marine Headquarters right on this archipelago," And the Celestial Dragons would go nowhere without Marines protecting and serving them after all, and Straw Hats completely violating and desecrating one of the World Nobles was definitely something that they wouldn't just brush off. "I have no idea who they wanted to catch...They couldn't have known that someone would beat up the Tenryuubito though, right?" I allowed myself a short chuckle and continued, "You've shown me something rather interesting..." I paused for a second and moved my head upwards to look at their expressions clearly, "...Mugiwara-ya ichimi,"

With her hands still crossed, Nico Robin stared directly into my eyes in an attempt to read my intentions...which inevitably failed as she spoke, "You are Trafalgar Law, right?" before turning to Mugiwara-ya, "Luffy, he's a pirate." Though I did think that it was pretty self-explanatory that I was a pirate considering my attire and my Nodachi...did their captain really need to be told who was a threat or not? Couldn't he judge for himself whether someone was out to harm him or any of his crew?

"Huh?" Mugiwara-ya questioned, with an uncaring tone. "That bear too?" A ghost of a smirk etched itself on my face.

"And that man standing over there," Nico Robin looked over at Eustass-ya's direction, "-is Eustass 'Captain' Kid."

"That is the man with a bounty higher than Luffy-san's?!" That skeleton had such an annoying voice, it was grating in my ears, reminding me of that headache that I had thankfully even for a few moments, until now.

The clacking of heels onto the wooden flooring of the stage alerted me to the female Celestial Dragon as she carried a ladder over to the mermaid and climbed up, all the while aiming a gun at the mermaids head. "Unforgivable! Now that it has come to this, I will just kill the mermaid they came to save!"

I scoffed at her actions. It doesn't really take much will power to pull the trigger and kill someone...

 _'I doubted that Doflamingo even thought of a single remorseful thought as he pulled the trigger that killed...'_ Biting my cheeks until blood pooled in my mouth, I forced myself out of that morose line of thought.

And it was even less so for a Celestial Dragon such as herself, she surely would have already been desensitized to all the death that surrounded people like her. Scum who think others, not of their own bloodline was beneath them and kills without mercy. Their...bloodlines...purity...It is actually quite disgusting now that I think about it...in order to preserve their bloodlines...inbreeding must happen quite a lot in Mariejois... Though, that explains their messed up minds quite a lot.

Disco's panicked voice brought me back from my disturbing thoughts. "The 500 million berri! Please-Please, wait, Sharlia-sama! We haven't received payment for that item yet! Please! Wait! Sharlia-sama!"

The female Tenryuubito pointed her gun at Disco, making me smirk. Oh yes, I do hope she shuts him up. His voice throughout the whole auction has been the bane of my existence during my time here. "Be quiet, you inferior human!" And with a resounding sound, she had shot Disco in the chest- hopefully somewhere vital. I sadly didn't see where as Disco- while limping quite pathetically- practically hightailed it backstage to escape the murderous World Noble.

"Now fish, I shall finish you off for good this time!" Ahh...I've anticipated this moment for far too long now.

I could see and hear the Straw Hat's preparing their weapons to take down the woman if necessary. The mermaid was thrashing about inside her little bowl as she looked up at the Tenryuubito.

"Stop trying to resist!" and with a smile, she tightened her hold on the trigger, cocked back the hammer on the gun and said, "Die now."

"CAIMIE!" The Straw Hat's all exclaimed.

"Oh no! We won't make it!"

But then, all of a sudden a wave of power pushed back onto my body, and as if in slow motion I watched as the Tenryuubito slip off the ladder, drop the gun, and fall unconscious on the ground. Throughout all of this I kept my face expressionless, despite the fact that my heart was hammering in my chest, I was currently wracking my head for answers as to what that sensation was.

"S-Sharlia-sama!"

I was so caught up in my shock that I barely noticed the bare giant hands ripping through the metal layered wall until the distinct footsteps of someone that wore Straw sandals snapped me back into reality. My eyebrows furrowed as an old man stepped into the light...with that woman from before in cradled in his arms! He glanced around the room briefly before turning his head towards the woman whose head was currently nestled on his shoulder and whispered something that seemed to calm her down even further as she all but melted in his arms. With a closed smile, the old man looked up and said, "Have a look at that, Giant-kun. The hall is a complete mess. Seems that the auction has finished."

His body turned to look at the damage done, making my eyes narrow as he passed over me, "Seeing as I've stolen some money, I guess I'll be returning to the gambling hall."

I was thinking...I was thinking of who I knew, who I had heard of that would be his age but still possessed such an intimidating presence! Even as I was meters away from him, I could still feel the strength of him. It was almost as if my whole body was being pushed down as if gravity had somehow condensed itself around me. I had known the instant I felt it, I knew that I wasn't strong enough to even dream of trying to take this old man down in my current state; I was still too weak...far too weak. And this fact infuriated me to no end. This old man...he wasn't just some random guy, he seemed familiar somehow. As if I had seen him somewhere before...

"What a foul old man you are...You came just so you could steal money?" the giant boomed from behind the wall.

I wondered at why and how on earth that woman was able to withstand such power, so close to the one it emanated from. I wondered why she was even in his arms in the first place. I wondered who she truly was. What she was. Why she was sleeping amidst all of the destruction and noise. What he had said that made her look so comfortable, so content...so...soft...

"I wanted to steal from whoever bought me as well..." his voice rumbled with a short chuckle, "Well, that's impossible now."

The old man moved his right hand from under the woman's knees and hooked his left arm from behind her back, and held her tighter with his left hand, gripping her thighs as he took out a silver flask but stopped halfway in motion. "Oh, right it was empty," his right arms reclaimed its hold on her thighs while he observed the woman for a few moments with a soft look in his eyes before looking up as he says in an almost reminiscent way, "But first I've got to get you somewhere safe before I can go get some more sake."

What was that about? Why is that old man talking about getting her to somewhere safe? Why did she need to go somewhere safe? Where was this safe place he wanted to place her in? I had so many questions that frustrated me to no end since I knew that there was an extremely low percentage that I would actually ever get them answered...but one could only hope.

The man continued his musings, "Although, come to think of it...I'm pretty old, so who would want a slave like me?" before laughing heartily, shaking the woman in his arms from his movements, effectively waking her.

I sweat dropped at his overbearing laugh that continued for quite some time. Why was it that the 'right-hand man', the 'second in command', the man who was said to 'rule in the shadows' behind Gol D. Roger; the King of the Pirates, was so-so...underwhelmingly nonchalant about everything?

With an eye half-lidded and the other fully closed, the woman lazily giggled softly at his words, "You don't look a day over your prime Jiji, you still feel as strong as ever," before gripping his shirt tighter and smiling contentedly as she closed her eyes once again.

Her voice was soft like she was whispering, but had a hint of huskiness that sent shivers up my spine. Truly...this woman was intriguing. And my mind whirled with ideas, conclusions as to why she seemed to trust that man- a man I was certain she had just met, yet she seemed so close to him. The man who I was sure was the 'Dark King' Rayleigh, though it slightly irked me so to have _just_ figured out who he was- or rather what his real identity was. I couldn't help but question the _real_ reason why the legendary Rayleigh would be at a Human Auction...it couldn't actually just be because he wanted to steal money...could it?

Rayleigh's laugh gradually ceased as a smile appeared on his face while looking down at the woman- whose name I still did not know- before noticing the tense atmosphere in the room, "Hm? What? It seems like I drew some unwanted attention..."

I was slightly taken aback from his unconcerned attitude. Though one mustn't be shocked since he was a living Legend after all. I watched through my peripheral as the slave guards made a commotion off to the side, "What's with that old man and giant!"

"Isn't she that woman that Saint Charlos bought?!"

"Weren't they auction items? How did they get out of their cages!?"'

A shrill shriek escaped a guards' throats as he pointed at their necks, "Th-Their neck-rings are gone!"

His eyes widened and his mouth quivered in fright, "How-How did they get them off?!"

I scoffed. I really shouldn't be thinking of such things since I too did not even figure out who he was until a few moments ago but...surely having the profession of guarding the most popular establishment in the Archipelago and Slave House, would ensure that the people working there would be by all means well informed of the current pirates with the highest bounties, and Pirates of much renown? I mean...this was the 'Dark King Rayleigh' after all...

"W-What should we do?"

"What..."

The continued alarmed ramblings of the guards allowed me to obtain a few trivial yet hopefully important pieces of information that I archived into my long-term memory. It seemed that this particular Slave House hires mercenaries to be their workers. I couldn't be sure that Doflamingo does this at every facility that he owned but, it was something I'll keep in mind when I inevitably infiltrate his underground businesses. I'd have to find a way to incorporate this fact into my strategy that would inevitably cause the downfall of Doflamingo.

"R-Rayleigh!" The Fishman who was shot exclaimed in shock.

"Rayleigh? You mean the ship coater?!" The Straw-Hat's tanuki turned its head towards the stage.

Ship coater? He was a ship coater? THAT legendary man was-is a ship coater? I was almost-almost completely if not utterly baffled as to why on earth he chose a career such as Ship-coating to occupy himself in the lasts leg of his life. Although despite being an old man, he seemed deceivingly healthy. Regardless of my buzzing thoughts, my face was completely devoid of any emotion, disregarding my trademark smirk and the seemingly permanent amused countenance I had been known and said to have.

"Why, if it isn't Hachi! It's you right? It's been a while! What are you doing here?" Questions after questions were being fired before his happy expression was wiped off as quickly as it appeared on his face as his eyes narrowed and his voice darkened, "Where'd you get that wound?"

"Oh, you don't have to tell me," Rayleigh once again removed his right hand from under her thighs and allowed his left arm to fully take the weight of her. Rubbing his beard repetitively, his eyes took on a contemplative glint as he scanned and took note of the rubble, the chained mermaid, and incapacitated bodies were strewn around.

A few minutes passed we all waited for him to finish with his musings, "So this means...I get it...I've figured out what has happened."

Sighing he murmured, "You've gotten yourself into quite a mess haven't you Hachi?" he turned towards Mugiwara-ya's group, " Were you the ones who saved him?"

No reply came, not that he seemed to be expecting one. "Well, then..."

A wave of pressure pushed down on the entirety of my being. The guards of the Slave hall all dropped unconscious simultaneously.

"This guy..." Eustass Kid's voice wavered ever so slightly.

I felt a sense of dread wash over me. A sense of the unknown. I could feel a drop of sweat slide down the side of my chin. My head throbbed worse than I had ever felt it before.

"No way," I half gritted out, half sighed. I felt a faint sense of pride that I was able to take the assault on his senses.

"Huh? What? W-What did he just do?!"

"What's with this old man?!"

The reactions of Mugiwara's crew varied but they all held the same shock and if not fear, then definitely panic. Though Mugiwara himself seemed unperturbed, much to my aggravation. He continued to stare at Rayleigh without so much as a blink.

"That straw hat of yours...it really fits a fearless man like yourself." Rayleigh took a step towards Straw Hat. "I've wanted to meet you...Monkey D. Luffy!"

* * *

 **A/N: We can all agree that I'm an actual bitch. 8 months I've procrastinated in uploading this chapter. I said I was most likely going to be updating on the 'regular'. Hah! I freaking wish. I really am sorry though. Like I sincerely, from the bottom of my cold-cold heart am truly sorry.**

 **Now that we've gotten the grovelling out of the way, I can say with complete confidence that I did not spend the entirety of those 8 months sitting idly at my computer. I've written her past, where exactly in the one piece timeline everything fits, her character profile, who she'll ally with, form relationships with etc. It's now just a matter of actually writing chapters instead of just random ideas. And I honestly think I'll write in third person POV now, first person is so tiring.**

 **And I know how dull of a chapter this was. Writing a story so closely tied to canon is tedious at best, and I promise it'll get better once they all set sail and the pieces have been set in motion. That is one promise I intend to go through with, my laziness be damned! Also, The reason why there have been so many parts to Chapter 3 is due to the fact that it would have been wayyy too long so I cut it up to 6 parts.**

 **Anyways, we can conclude that there's no hope of my ever having a consistent update schedule because of my severe case of procrastination. So I guess, until next time then.**


	6. Mysterious Power

_**Chapter 6: Mysterious Power**_

 _"That straw hat of yours...it really fits a fearless man like yourself." Rayleigh took a step towards Straw Hat. "I've wanted to meet you...Monkey D. Luffy!"_

The pirates situated around the auditorium all watched with varied reactions as 'Dark King' Rayleigh's hand inched closer to the mermaids' exploding collar.

"I'm going to remove that collar now. Is that alright young girl?"

Rayleigh's soft assured tone did not alleviate Caimie's growing sense of despair. But she couldn't help but feel a minuscule bead of hope bubble its way up her throat, before pushing the feeling down. She couldn't afford to be optimistic, only to have that feeling crushed. However, despite her inner resolution, her eyes told a different story. And Rayleigh saw past the defeated expression and recognized the emotion in her eyes; hope.

A loud, almost screech sound filled the room as the talking starfish all but started hyperventilating, "Hey hey, old man! Don't do anything reckless! It's going to explode!" the echoes of his voice lingered for a few more moments.

"We've already seen what it's like when a slave's collar explodes!" Chopper, the doctor of the Straw Hats found himself on the verge of a panic attack. His mind already seeing the burnt and torn flesh of Caimie's neck, the blood pouring out of every wound. He couldn't fathom how Caimie would be able to survive such an ordeal. And should she be unlucky enough to do so, her body would be constantly riddled with pain.

"It was horrible! Absolutely horrible!"

"Is that really okay Luffy!?" Chopper knew he couldn't do anything against the old man who brought down hundreds of guards without even raising a single hand. He could only hope that his captain could. Caimie didn't deserve to die because of a man who they didn't even know whether to be friend or foe. But alas, Luffy stood resolute, his eyes unwavering as he stared down at the old man. Chopper didn't know what was worse, the fact that Luffy wasn't willing to do anything or the fact that his captain seemed to be deep in thought.

"W-W-Wait!" Usopp turned towards Nami behind him, hoping that she at least could give him support, but found Nami to be completely frozen in shock, before swivelling back towards the front. "Franky's looking for the keys now, right?" he looked at Zoro, then to Sanji, and back to Zoro again. No one seemed to be listening, they were all focused on what was happening down at the stage. "We should just wait until he finds them!" he wailed desperately, finding the whole situation frustrating.

"That's right," Pappag the starfish wheezed, his voice was losing its volume as he said the last word, he was growing desperate. "Please stop him, Mugiwara!"

With his wide smile never leaving his face, Rayleigh turned his attentions on the woman sleeping contentedly on his shoulder. Leaning down towards her ear he whispered a few words, slightly rousing the woman from her sleep before dislodging her body from his arms and relinquishing his hold on her to the giant behind him. The woman seemed restless but curled up to the giant's thumb. His palms big enough to comfortably hold the black-clad woman.

"It's all right," Rayleigh's words echoed in the room. Placing a calming hand on the mermaid's shoulder, which gave the green-haired girl a jolt, Rayleigh proceeds to move his other hand towards the exploding collar. The horrified screams of the starfish echoing in the background.

"STOP IT!"

"If you don't have the key, we can't get it off!"

Zoro placed a hand on his Wado Ichimonji sword **[1]** , the action giving him a sense of calm. The sight of seeing countless mercenaries dropping suddenly still put him on edge. What was more jarring was the fact that the old man moved not a single inch from his place when he somehow defeated all those men. "I don't understand what kind of power he used, but I can definitely see that he's not your average old man."

"And so it's just okay to leave Caimie-chan to him?!" Sanji looked at Zoro's back and felt troubled, deeply troubled. For a lady like Caimie-chwan to suffer so much..."GAAAAHHH!"

He turned around, trying to keep his calm, "What is Franky doing?!"

 **Tick Tock**

 **Tick Tock**

 **Tick Tock**

 **Tick Tock**

"IT'S TICKING!" Pappag's shriek did nothing to wipe the smile from Rayleigh's mouth. "WHAT SHOULD WE DO?!"

Caimie could do nothing but trust the man in front of her. She didn't want to die, and the screams on Pappug only made her fear grow. The smile on the man's face did nothing to assuage her feeling of dread. She tried breathing in, and out...but failed to calm herself as she choked on air.

 **Tick Tock**

 **Tick Tock**

It seemed all she could do now was close her eyes, and pray for her life.

 **Tick Tock**

Unlike The Straw Hat's, both the Kid and the Heart pirates couldn't help but find the whole scenario amusing. They were strangers to the situation, but still, a good entertaining death was something both Eustass and Law enjoyed. A good bloodshed was always in order. After all, one of the few-if not only thing that they both had in common was their appreciation for all forms of art, regardless of their own particular taste. Though the term is best used loosely when it came to Eustass.

 **Tick Tock**

 **Tick Tock**

"Stop! Please stop it!"

Both Pappug and Chopper were near hyperventilating as the sound seemed to hasten in preparation for a blast. Brook's jaws dropped to an inhuman length. Robin's furrowed eyebrows were the only tell of her concern over the mermaid. While Usopp seemed to be having a mental breakdown, Nami closed her eyes, her heart wouldn't be able to take seeing a friend die in front of her. Zoro and Sanji gritted their teeth and watched in earnest at the happenings on stage.

For Luffy, he found It hard listening to the starfish, to see the looks on his crewmates. But Luffy had a hunch, he had a feeling that everything would work out. And despite rarely showing himself to be so serious, his countenance was all but his usual smiling self. He felt that the old man held a special quality about him. Even at this stage, Luffy knew this for a fact.

"Caimieeee!"

 ***Crash***

Franky burst through a wall, he had been running nonstop for over an hour, searching for the keys for Caimie's collar. He could only hope that he'd make it in time as he looked at the jangling keys on his hands. But a tingling feeling at the back of his head made itself known, and it itches. This wasn't a good sign.

"Wait for me! I'm coming now!" He was out of breath, but he was close.

 ***BoOM***

Franky's heart nearly stopped. But his running definitely did, if only for a moment.

"What...?!"

Running towards the noise, at his full speed, disregarding his fatigue, he broke through the smoke and rubble.

Looking around the area he found himself at a loss, "H-Hey! What just happened!" He asked, despite already knowing the answer. He needed confirmation.

A loud cry of despair reached his ears, "WAAAHHAAAAA...I can't even say it...!"

Franky was dumbfounded. He may have not known that girl for long but he knew that she didn't deserve to die.

"Caimieee has...!"

"Ehhhhh?!"

With the smoke finally clearing, everyone could see what happened below. Caimie was perfectly fine it seemed.

Relieved, Franky walked towards Caimie with the ring of keys spinning around his finger. "What the hell? Scaring me shitless! She doesn't have a collar or chains anymore?"

Silence reigned for a few moments. These few moments served its purpose as the reality sank in, and the life of an innocent was saved.

"He-He got them...off..." Nami didn't know what to think, what to do, what to say. She knew how terrible those collars were, she saw what they could do when one of the Tenryuubito's slave tried to rip it off of him on streets but...this...she didn't know how to react.

"C-Caimieeeee!" The starfish ran down the flight of stairs that separated him from his Caimie, tumbling a few steps before jumping onto the mermaids' grasp. "Caimie! Thank goodness!"

The sound of key jingling brought them all out of their musings. "Che! What the hell? Look," Franky waved the set of keys again, " I finally found them and all..."

"Oh, you found them? Quite impressive. But it's fine." Rayleigh's voice cut through Franky's tirade with a slight tinge of sarcasm and amusement, "Please carry this young girl out of here." Rayleigh left no room for Franky to retort.

"Uh, umm...Thank you..." Caimie could not believe what had just occurred. But whether she believed it or not, she was still alive, and it was all because of this old man in front of her. She didn't exactly know what was happening when he took the collar off, or how he took it off but, there was no point in dwelling on that now, all she knew was that she is still alive, and she owed this man her life.

Rayleigh shook his head at the mermaid. He found these past series of events quite entertaining, so there was no need for thanks. He does what he does of his own volition, nothing else. Though in the corner of his eyes he sees that woman, Kagome her name was, still resting on his new friend Stansen's **[2]** palm. He wasn't sure what to do with her. Her appearance here on this part of the sea will no doubt be the catalyst for something on a massive scale. What it would be, he does not know. But what he does know is what she is, what she stands for.

"What the hell? What's up with this situation?! Who are you?" Franky spit fired questions after question after finally coming to terms with what he heard.

Rayleigh smiled at the weirdly dressed man but said nothing in reply. Stepping away from the giant glass bowl that caged the mermaid Caimie, he made his way towards Stansen. Every step he took monitored by the people around him, though he was unperturbed.

Seeing as the man was close enough, the giant Stansen bent down and gently handed the woman over to Rayleigh, careful not to jostle her too much. He was a tad concerned of her well being. She had slept through all the noise and commotion and he didn't know whether this was a normal thing for her to be doing, or whether there was truly something wrong with her. But he brushed off these thoughts, he knew nothing of her. The only reason why he took her under his temporary care was that he owed Rayleigh his life for he surely would have taken his own had he not found a way to escape. Becoming a slave wasn't something anyone, least of all he of all people wanted to be.

"W-What? What did he do? That old guy just did something mysterious again! Just who is this old man?!" Usopp, ever the inquisitive one, asked no one in particular. The silence that greeted him gave him little satisfaction.

Luffy was perceptive. Having lived among wild beasts and his even wilder brothers in the forests, his eyes could see quite a bit despite not having any formal training. Garp's Fist of Love notwithstanding. He saw what that old man did, and his brows furrowed even more.

 _ **Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick**_

 _"Stop! Please stop it!"_

 _Rayleigh's eyes glinted. A small chuckle escaping his throat. His right hand in front of him...Waiting, waiting for the right moment to rip the collar off the girl._

 _There._

 _Releasing his haki for but a moment, he broke both the chains and collar around the girl, protecting her neck whilst doing so and throwing the piece of metal behind him._

 _ ***BoOM***_

Luffy saw...everything. He protected not only Caimie's neck...but also his own hand with something...something he does not know.

"Hey, slaves! All your buyers ran away. You should make a run for it now, while you have the chance!" The mouths of several slaves hung wide agape at Franky's statement. They had resolved themselves to a life of dehumanizing situations and pain. But now, they saw the light of hope jangling on his hands.

Here!" Franky threw the keys in front of the slaves. He found it slightly off-putting and sad to see people so happy about gaining freedom. For Franky, freedom was not something you gain, it was something you inherently had.

As soon as the keys hit the ground, the slaves had all but leapt at it. It made for a humbling sight.

Looking around the room, at the soldiers and mercenaries lying on the ground, Usopp couldn't help but shiver as he remembered the feeling of a force threatening to push him down, to strangle and choke him into submission. "If that old man was the one who beat all of these soldiers then he must have used some sort of magic or sorcery, right?"

"He's got to have some Devil Fruit Powers!" Usopp turned his head from the old man carrying that mercenary woman up the stairs, towards his captain. "He said something about your Straw Hat, too..."

 _"That Straw Hat really fits a fearless man like yourself."_

 _Luffy looked straight into the eyes of this man, Rayleigh. He could feel the power radiating off of him and Luffy could only wonder why a man of this calibre was captured. But what's more confusing was why or how this man knew of him._

 _"I've wanted to meet you, Straw Hat Luffy!"_

"How do you know that guy, Luffy?"

"I really don't know him!" And that was the truth, Luffy couldn't think of a single time he would have met Rayleigh until now.

"What he used to defeat them was probably his 'Haki'..." Hachi spoke up, looking pained as his voice wavered, "Though I don't really understand it myself..."

* * *

 **[1]** The Wado Ichimonji is a sword of great personal importance to Roronoa Zoro, and it once belonged to Kuina and her family. It is also one of the 21 O Wazamono grade swords. After Kuina's death, Zoro asked for it from her father, who then gave the sword to him.

 **[2]** Stansen is a giant from Elbaf who is a shipwright. After being imprisoned in the Auction House, he was freed alongside other slaves by Silvers Rayleigh during the Straw Hat Pirates' assault on the business.

* * *

 **A/N: So...I've been a bitch again, what with not updating my stories. Honestly, it's so tedious writing straight from canon. Despite this being a fanfic, I feel as though I have to stay true to the material, at least until my plot branches off from it.**

 **And I just can't find myself making decisions on whether or not I should just post, or wait until my dumbass self finds the motivation to write the rest of what should be a minimum of 3k words per chapter...but as you can see, after months of deliberation, I've had enough.**

 **Also, it's always bothered me how the chapters 'Keep her safe (Part 1-3) was spread out through so many chapters, so I've basically renamed the last 3 chapters to avoid the annoyance of it becoming too confusing.**

 **Anyways, I'll try to update in the next few days, but don't keep your hopes up since I don't even trust myself to do that.**


	7. Pirate Rookies

**Chapter 7: Pirate Rookies**

 _"What he used to defeat them was probably his 'Haki'..." Hachi spoke up, looking pained as his voice wavered, "Though I don't really understand it myself..."_

Rayleigh walked on, his steps echoing in the room-his unwavering smile unnerving a select few.

"Hm?" To the right, his peripherals noticed another pirate crew, lounging on the seats. He finds it amusing how hard they tried to keep appearances up, but nevertheless, it seemed to him that these 'New Age' pirates were nothing more than little boys playing with what ought not to be played with. Though in some, he felt, had potential. He had low expectations for those few, but high hopes.

He chuckled.

High hopes indeed.

His smile widened further, "Sorry you guys. You were just here to watch, right?"

Feeling the sharp eyes training themselves onto the woman in his arms, Rayleigh rubbed his thumb in a circular motion on her thigh as her fingers gripped his shirt tighter. A sign of awareness.

"Who'd have thought we'd run into such a big shot here? That's the 'Dark King' Silvers Rayleigh, no doubt about it."

Rayleigh noted the sweat-drops on his brow, as the rookie who he knows to be Eustass Kidd, formed a tense smile.

"What's that legendary man doing here...and holding onto that girl from earlier?"

"On these islands I'm Ray-san, the coating craftsman. So don't go calling me that other name." Rayleigh looked into his eyes, a confrontational glint forming as he wordlessly dared the boy from commenting further. "I'm an older soldier now. I just want to live in peace and quiet."

Coming upon Hachi's stiff form spread across the steps, Rayleigh carefully knelt on one knee, balancing the woman's body in a more comfortable position, "I take it you'll survive Hachi?"

The slight downturn of lips, the only show hinting at the extent of his unease at Hachi's injury. "After I told you all those times not to walk around these islands..."

"Nguhh...I'm sorry..."

With a slight shake of his head, Rayleigh's concerned expression dissipated as he turned to the Straw hat wearing boy, memories of a man with a shit-eating grin flashing every so often in his mind. "Thanks for saving my friend, fellows."

"So, old man, what's this about wanting to meet me?"

"Yes, that's right," Closing his eyes, Rayleigh let the past fade as he slowly rose to his feet, " but let's save that for later. We first need to get out of here."

"Boss, they have the place completely surrounded."

All eyes turned to the group towards the back. Eustass's crew stretching their limbs, preparing for departure before the blaring noise of a loudspeaker came penetrated the Auction House's walls.

"Alright, you CRIMINALS! Release the Roswald family at once!"

Rayleigh felt his eye twitch, the screams of the Marines outside were truly testing his patience. If his charge woke up in the midst of their demands, he did not know how he was going to calm both himself and the woman down before something deeply regrettable happened.

"An Admiral will be arriving shortly! I recommend immediate surrender! Don't blame us for whatever happens, you damn ROOKIES!"

Trafalgar scoffed, his excitement growing steadily at the prospect of a good fight. "We're not only caught up in this, we're being treated as accomplices now."

"Ahh, but I got a good glimpse of the insanity that makes Straw Hat Luffy so notorious." Crossing his arms, Eustass gave a pointed look towards Rayleigh, "I have no complaints, but I'd rather not run into an Admiral now if I can avoid it!"

Chuckling, despite the fact that these young-ones were still wet behind the ears, Rayleigh had to admit, at least to himself that they had guts trying to make him fight their battles. "Oh, I'd prefer not to use that power of mine anymore, so I leave this to you!"

Continuing on towards the top of the staircase, Rayleigh looked back at the pirates behind him. "It'll be hard for me to stay settled down if the Navy discovers who I am."

"I have no intention of helping out a senior citizen!" Eustass grinned, in spite of his earlier intention. "The longer we stay here, the more troops there'll be! I think I'll go on ahead."

The sound of his heels grew further away as he waved his right hand, "While I'm at it, I'll help you guys out too!"

"Huh!"

"I'll clean things up outside, so don't worry!"

His taunts got both captains moving, while Rayleigh merely laughed at his ingenious move.

* * *

Outside the Sabaody Grove 1 Auction House, platoons of Navy soldiers were positioned and aimed their rifles at the Auction House's door, just as the sounds of raised voices revealed three of the highest ranking Supernova's arguing.

"I told you, I'll do it!"

"Shut up!"

"I'm going to do it!"

"Get outta here!"

"Shut up guys!"

"I'm going to do it."

"What are you talking about?!"

"I told you, leave it to me!"

"No! I'm going to do it!"

"Don't tell me what to do."

"You guys just don't get it!"

"You're the one who doesn't get it."

"Alright!" The unnatural sound of rubber came as Luffy stretched his arms upwards, "You guys can go back inside!"

Eustass crossed his arms together, "Hey! Are you even listening!? I told you two to stay back!"

"Tell me what to do again and I'll start getting rid of you first, Eustass-ya!"

"Get ready!" The clicks of the safety notch unfastening rang in the air. "All three of them are captains! They're spearheading the attack!"

"Monkey D. Luffy, worth 300 million!"

"I'll be going first!"

"Eustass 'Captain' Kidd, worth 315 million!"

"Let me handle this."

"Trafalgar Law, worth 200 million!"

"You can stay here and bicker all you want about our bounties but I..."

"... **can handle this all by myself!"**

"All three of them have over 100 million!"

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 **A/N: This chapter is waayyy too short for my tastes, but It didn't seem right to continue on.**


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